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Why monitor fluid at home
Home monitoring of fluid is important because common signs of an ear infection – like pain, fever or irritability – can also be signs of other ailments, especially in younger children. Knowing the likelihood of fluid in a child's middle ear can help parents and physicians determine whether or not the child might have an ear infection. Plus, it can be useful after treatment to help determine if the fluid is going away or gone.
Impact on hearing
Many children with chronic middle ear fluid have some degree of temporary hearing loss. Because your child does not appear to be sick, you may not realize the condition exists. In some children, the fluid in the middle ear may create a sensation of ear fullness or "popping." As with acute otitis media (ear infection), the fluid behind the eardrum can block sound, so temporary hearing loss can happen, but may not be obvious.1 Prolonged hearing loss can lead to speech delays, reading delays, and learning disabilities, even after the condition is corrected.
EarCheck® Middle Ear Monitor can be helpful in identifying middle ear fluid that can impair your child's hearing.
1Kids Health. Middle Ear Infections. www.kidshealth.org. Accessed August 1, 2007.
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